Colorado Educators Assail NCLB -- Say Goals Unrealistic and Underfunded

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

EDUCATORS ASSAIL NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
ALMOST ALL IN A POLL SENT OUT BY SEN. KEN SALAZAR SAY THE FEDERAL LAW'S 
GOALS ARE NOT ACHIEVABLE
Denver Post -- January 23, 2006
by Allison Sherry

Colorado teachers, principals and administrators overwhelmingly say the 
federal education law No Child Left Behind is unrealistic and 
underfunded, according to a survey conducted by U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar's 
office.

Almost all of those who responded to the survey - sent to all Colorado 
school districts as well as a handful of parent advocacy organizations 
and administrators - said the law's goal of all students reaching 100 
percent proficiency by the 2013-14 school year was not achievable.

Teachers also said they favor charting student academic growth over 
time, versus the law's comparison of the same grade levels year after year.

Roughly 2,000 people responded to the survey, sent out last summer, 
incuding 1,600 teachers, 119 principals and 117 parents.

The federal No Child Left Behind - signed into law Jan. 8, 2002 - 
requires students in most grades to take annual assessment tests and 
requires districts to make "adequate yearly progress."

The reauthorization discussion will take place this year in a much 
different political landscape in Congress than in 2002, with Democrats 
controlling both the House and the Senate.

Salazar released the results of the survey Monday, as well as a letter 
he wrote to Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., about what Colorado education 
experts and parents said about the federal law. Kennedy is the chairman 
of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and was 
an architect of the law.

Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz said Monday that the senator will reach out 
again to educators and policymakers this spring before reauthorization 
hearings begin.

Colorado Education Association spokeswoman Deborah Fallin said Monday 
that teacher union members "support accountability," but "it's clear 
that between CSAP and NCLB the pendulum has swung too far."The CSAPs are 
Colorado's assessment tests.

   http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5064724